“Earth Day” (April 22), although not a national holiday, is a day on
which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the
Earth's natural environment. It was
designated as International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations in 2009
~ now celebrated in more than 175
countries yearly.
The SUN with its family of 8
planets (now that the distant ice-covered Pluto is no more a planet) make our
Galaxy...the Milky Way. Earth turned out
to be the luckiest! It is the only
planet where life became possible, at least as far as our knowledge goes. Life in its beautiful forms developed
here...be it humans, animals and birds, plants or marine life.
The one thing that made Earth
unique was the presence of the superb form of intelligent life called the human race. But somewhere along the way, the human
race lost its humanity, forgot to acknowledge the planet that gave it
life...and used its resources ruthlessly.
The world now marks Earth Day to
make the human race realize the importance of the Mother Earth: it is usually celebrated with
outdoor performances, where individuals or groups perform arts of service to
Earth....including planting trees, picking up roadside and park trash,
embarking on various programs for recycling and conservation. It is a time to call for stronger or
immediate action to stop global warming and to reverse environmental
destruction.
Words of
Awareness:
Someone is sitting
in the shade today
because someone
planted a tree here 20 years ago!
(author unknown)
Four Seasons ~
(How blessed we are!)
The fields are rich
with daffodils,
A coat of clover
cloaks the hills,
And I must dance, and
I must sing
To see the beauty of
the Spring.
The earth is warm,
the sun's ablaze,
It is a time of
carefree days;
And bees abuzz that
chance to pass
May see me snoozing
in the grass.
The leaves are
yellow, red and brown,
A shower sprinkles
softly down;
The air is fragrant,
crisp and cool,
And once again I'm
stuck in school.
The birds are gone,
the world is white,
The winds are wild,
they chill and bite;
The ground is thick
with slush and sleet,
And I can barely feel
my feet.
The last is done, the
next is here,
The same as it is
every year;
Spring ~ then
sunshine ~ autumn ~ snow,
That is how each year
must go.
(Lindemberg Pareira
da Silva ~ a Brazilian poet)
American Indian Philosophies
American Indians generally foster a special relationship with
Earth as being “one with Mother Earth.”
This means that the Earth
nourishes, sustains, and provides life for all found upon it. All plants, animals, birds, fish, soil
and water are recognized as interdependent
and necessary to sustain life.
Indian people also recognize that it is important …to respect, to love and to care for all found upon the Earth so that a
future generation of people will be sustained.
Do not judge your neighbour until you walk 2 moons in his moccasins.
Our first teacher is our own heart. Judge not by the eye, but by the
heart. (Cheyenne)
We are made by Mother Earth and we go back to Mother Earth.
It is no longer good enough to cry peace; we must act peace, live peace
and live in peace. (Shenandoah ~
Daughter of the Sky and Daughter of the Stars)
I was warmed by the sun, rocked by the winds and sheltered by the trees
as other Indian babes.
(Geronimo, Apache Indian Tribe)
We must protect the forests for our children,
grandchildren and children yet
to be born.
We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves
such as the birds, animals, fish, trees and plants. (Qwatsinas)
Crafted by Merle Baird-Kerr…March 3, 2013
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